Refrigerator



April 30, 1929. J. E. GLOEKLER REFRIGERATOR Filed May 11, 1926 2 z 2 mmvrox I ZQLMX 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN EDWARD GLOEKLER, 01

1,711,113 PATENT OFFICE.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed May 11,

The prevention of heattransference by conduction, which would tend to confuse and impair the desired travel of the currents of air.

The provision of a combined pan and compartment partition for the refrigerator.

The provision of a refrigerator pan which.

is reversible so that it may be used in a re frigerator having either a right hand or left hand refrigerating compartment.

The provision of a combined pan and shelf support for. the refrigerator.

Other novel features of construction and also of arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated the best embodiment of the principles of my invention now known to me, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the upper portion of the refrigerator; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the ice pan which is shown in 1. certain other parts being indicated in dotted lines, and Fig.3 is av view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the pan especially designed to receive the expansion unit of an automatic refrigerating system.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 repre sents the refrigerator whose front is provided with an ice compartment doorway 2 and a food compartment doorway 3 positioned side by side. The doors are omitted for the sake of clearness. 1 is the stile or vertical portion of the front wall of the refrigerator which separates the doorways and 3. 5 is the inner back wall of the re frigerator, and 6 the horizontal portion of the front wall of the refrigerator wihch defines the bottom of the doorway 2.

7 represents the ice pan which is of substantially L-shape, having a horizontal shelf portion 8 upon which the ice rests and a vertical wall portion or baille 9. The shelf portion 8 is positioned below the top edge of the horizontal portion 6 of the front wall, while the wall portion or battle 9 is positioned inter- 1928. Serial No. 108,267.

mediate of the stile 4E and forms the partitlon between the ice and food compartments, stopping short, however, of the ceiling or inner top wall of the refrigerator so as to provide a sufficient opening 10 above the top of the wall 9 for the horizontal travel of the a r currents from the food compartment to the ice compartment. 1

The free end of the shelf portion 8 stops} short of the adjacent inner side wall of the refrigerator providmg an opening 11 for the downward passage of the currents of chilled air. a 1 i The pan 7 is formed of metal outer walls with an inner lining 12 of cork or some other material suitable for heat-insulation.

The free end of the shelf 8 is upturned or flanged upwardly as at 13 to prevent the downward drip of the water from the melting ice. The pan is also provided with a drain pipe 11 which is led down in the usual manner within the interior of the refrigerator to a suitable drain or other receptacle not shown.

The edges of the pan 7 are provided with flanges 15 which fit against the back wall 5 of the refrigerator and also against the front wall and stile thereof, screws 16 being driven through holes in said flanges into the refrigerator to hold the pan in place. It will also be observed that these flanges have the further function of keeping the water of the melted ice from running down between the pan and the wall and thus prevent the ac cumulation of impure matter between the pan and the wall and the consequent unhealthy conditions arising therefrom.

The back flanges 15 of the vertical wall portion 9 are preferably perforated for the insertion of the hooked ends of the horizontal metal bars 17 which may be employed to support shelves in the food compartment. The other ends of said metal bars may be supported in any convenient manner, such as by attachment to the other side wall of the refrigerator.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified form 7 of the pan which is especially designed to support the expansion unit of an automatic refrigerating system. I have also shown the pan 7 removably mounted in place, being supported on angle-shaped bracket bars 18 secured to the front and rear walls of the refrigerator. Thus the pan 7 may be lifted in and out of the refrigerator.

It is evident that the warm air rising through the food compartment and in the rear of the wall portion or baffle 9 of the pan will pass over the top of said Wall portion through the opening 10 and down in contact with the refrigerating agent, either ice or an expansion element, and down through the opening 11 into the interior of the refrigerator below the pan, thence crossing over and ascending as above described.

It is thus evident that a continuous circulation of air will be maintained Within the refrigerator and in contact with the refrigcrating agent.

The insulation of the shelf and wall of the pan prevents heat transference by conduction which would tend to confuse and impair the described air circulation, and thus preserves the full refrigerating effect of the refrigerating element for chilling the currents of air.

tical Wall portion of the pan may be used, as

, above described, to carry the ends of the shelf supports. This provides a very simple and satisfactory interior structure for the refrigorator.

It is evident that my improved pan is re- "ersible so that it may be installed in a refrigerator having either a left hand refrigerating compartment, as shown in the drawings, or having a right hand refrigerating compartment.

lVhat I desire to claim is In a refrigerator, a one piece refrigerator partition of substantial L-shape to provide vertical and horizontal legs, said partition having at each side a flange member projecting entirely across the side edge of the parti tion to extend from both sides of said partition, said flanges being adapted to engage the refrigerator Walls and support the partition, the projecting flange of each vertical portion on the back thereof being provided with a series of perforations for the insertion of the ends of tray bars.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this seventh day of May, 1926.

JOHN EDWARD GLOEKLER. 

